towards a more just, peaceful, rational, & sustainable world

Main Menu

Pull the Root: New Progressive Campaign Pressures Reps On Public Option

An organization that I’m getting to know better and that I’m beginning to like is Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC). According to a Huffington Post profile, “The organization will be the first of its kind exclusively to focus on electing progressive Democrats in congressional elections.” As much as congressional politics turns me off, there is no doubt that this is one of the main arenas where energy needs to be focused for positive progressive change in a time when too many democrats cave to powerful corporate interests.

Made up of veteran labor organizers and progressive candidate campaign managers, it seems like it’s off to a good start. It recently launched the We Want the Public Option TV ad campaign in DC, embarrassing members of congress on the airwaves by listing the donations they have received from the insurance and big pharma lobby. The vast majority of Americans want reform in our health care system and a majority favor a public option.

Now PCCC is bringing the TV ad to the states. Here is a recent announcement I received and acted on:

“I have great, great news.

In the last 72 hours, two senators named in our TV ad — Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Kay Hagan (D-NC) — announced support for the public option!

The big lesson? Pressure works. TV ads work. Now it’s our job to keep the momentum high. So we’ll be running versions of our hard-hitting ad in targeted states — pressuring individual Senate Democrats back home where it hurts most. We just need you to help us decide where.

On the voting page, you’ll see profiles of eight senators — including how much money they’ve taken from the health and insurance interests, whether they sit on important committees, and their statements on the public option.

Each version of the ad will feature the names of a senator’s local constituents who “signed” our ad — representing the 76% of Americans who demand a public option. It will also display the senator’s big contributors.

We know that these ads are working. Not only have our ads been featured in the New York Times and Washington Post (which said we’re rattling Democratic senators), but MoveOn and Blue America have been running ads in Sen. Hagan and Sen. Lincoln’s home states. And the result? They are coming around. Two down, eight to go.